Case Closed — On April 22, 2025, Tucson Mayor Romero and Council voted 6-0 to approve the rezoning for Casita Village at La Mariposa. The rezoning fight is over. The focus now shifts to permit condition compliance and construction monitoring.
Case C9-21-20 · Ward 2
Public Rezoning Meetings & Hearing Recordings
On April 22, 2025, Mayor Romero and Tucson City Council voted unanimously to approve the Casita Village rezoning. The fight is not over — rezoning approval does not equal construction approval. All conditions attached to the rezoning must be fully satisfied before any building permits can be issued. Watch the complete hearing recordings below and see the current status of the case.
Where Things Stand
Current Status
April 22, 2025
Council Voted — Rezoning Approved
Mayor Regina Romero and Tucson City Council voted unanimously to approve the rezoning for Casita Village at La Mariposa. This closes the formal rezoning process — but approval of rezoning is not the same as approval to build.
Ongoing
Permit Condition Monitoring
The rezoning has been approved. Before construction can begin, the developer must fulfill all conditions attached to the approval, including:
- —Transferring approximately 17 acres to Pima County for flood mitigation along the Agua Caliente Wash, including land designated for the Pima County Flood Control District
- —Constructing an 11-acre recharge basin on the current polo grounds, capable of storing approximately 16 million gallons of water (plans resubmitted with a 10-foot landscaped buffer along the eastern edge)
- —Expanding and restoring the Isabella Lee Natural Preserve
- —Defining and conveying a trail easement in coordination with Pima County Parks and Natural Resources and the City’s Parks and Recreation Department
- —Providing an all-weather access road
- —City approval of rough grading and native plant preservation plans prior to any excavation
The Bear Canyon Neighborhood Association and the Tanque Verde Valley Association are actively monitoring compliance.
Read the BCNP Background →Preliminary Development Plan
Case C9-21-20 · Casita Village at La Mariposa
Official Recordings
Hearing Record
All recordings are official City of Tucson Planning & Development Services uploads.
April 6, 2026
Condition Status UpdateCity of Tucson — Permit Condition Phase
TVVA Update: Permit Conditions in Progress
Lexy Wellott, Principal at The Planning Center, shared this update with the Tanque Verde Valley Association. Recharge basin plans were resubmitted by Civil & Environmental Consultants for the 11-acre basin on the former polo grounds (capacity: ~16 million gallons), now including a 10-foot landscaped buffer along the eastern edge. Archaeological work is nearing completion — throughout this process the team has worked in close partnership with the Tohono O'odham Nation and Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and any remains have been returned to appropriate sacred resting places in accordance with tribal guidance. Collaboration is ongoing with Pima County Parks and Natural Resources and the City's Parks and Recreation Department to define the required trail easement; plans also designate portions of land to be transferred to the Pima County Flood Control District. Rough grading and native plant preservation plans are currently under City review. Development plans for the area north of Corte Vista La Mariposa are being prepared, with plans for the southern portion to follow.
Conditions Pending — Permits Not Yet Issued
Development TimelineHoughton Road, Tucson, AZ
Construction Has Not Begun — All Permit Conditions Must First Be Met
As of April 2026, no building permits have been issued. The developer must satisfy all conditions attached to the rezoning before any construction can begin. Active work is underway on the recharge basin, archaeological clearance, trail easement, and grading plans — but none have received final City approval.
May 30, 2025
Site AcquisitionHoughton Road, Tucson, AZ
Developer Acquires 36.77-Acre Site for $4.58 Million
Following the April 22 rezoning approval, Saunders Amos, LLC completed the acquisition of the 36.77-acre La Mariposa site for $4.58 million on May 30, 2025. The purchase confirms the developer's intent to proceed. Construction cannot begin until all conditions attached to the rezoning approval are fully satisfied.
April 22, 2025
Mayor & Council Final VoteTucson City Hall
Mayor Romero & Council Vote — Rezoning Approved 6-0
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and City Council voted 6-0 to approve the rezoning for Casita Village at La Mariposa (Case C9-21-20). The approval does not authorize construction — all conditions attached to the rezoning must be fully met before any building permits can be issued. The Tanque Verde Valley Association and the Bear Canyon Neighborhood Association are actively monitoring permit condition compliance.
January 9, 2025
City Council RemandVirtual Hearing — City of Tucson
Zoning Examiner Hearing — City Council Remand of C9-21-20
City Council remanded the case back to the Zoning Examiner for a new hearing. Acting Zoning Examiner Frank Cassidy presided — he disclosed at the outset that he was the Deputy Pima County Attorney approximately 35 years ago who led the acquisition of public road right-of-way for Houghton Road adjacent to this very property, and that flood plain issues were a key component of those eminent domain proceedings. He confirmed no conflict of interest. This hearing re-examined all prior records from the December 2021 and January 2022 proceedings. The Examiner's report and recommendation were forwarded to Mayor and Council, who voted on April 22, 2025.
Official Recording · 2h 33m
Open on YouTube ↗January 6, 2022
Reconsideration HearingVirtual Hearing — City of Tucson
Petition for Reconsideration — Hearing Examiner Reverses Denial
A Petition for Reconsideration before the same Hearing Examiner, John Iurino. In a stunning reversal of his own December ruling, the Examiner approved the rezoning request. The reversal relied on a hydrologic study commissioned by the developer's paid consultant — a study the City had since June 2021 but that neighbors only received two days before this hearing. Independent hydrologists have since raised serious concerns about the accuracy of the study's assumptions. The Examiner also stretched the BCNP's owner-occupied housing language in a way that contradicts the plan's specific intent for this parcel.
Official Recording · 2h 28m
Open on YouTube ↗December 2, 2021
Initial Public HearingVirtual Hearing — City of Tucson
Zoning Examiner Public Hearing — Initial Denial
The first public hearing on Case C9-21-20 before Zoning Examiner John Iurino. After receiving public testimony from community members, the Examiner issued a preliminary denial of the rezoning request, finding it to be in violation of the Bear Canyon Neighborhood Plan (BCNP). The decision specifically noted that two prior rezoning attempts on this same land — C9-94-29 (1995) and C9-97-24 (1998) — were denied because flooding on the Agua Caliente Wash was never resolved, and that the same unresolved conditions remain today.
Official Recording · 2h 31m
Open on YouTube ↗Get Involved
How to Make Your Voice Heard
Attend & Speak
When a hearing is scheduled, attend in person or virtually and sign up to provide public comment. Every voice on record matters — the more residents who speak, the stronger the case before Mayor and Council.
Submit Written Comment
Written comments can be submitted to the City of Tucson Planning & Development Services Department prior to any hearing. Mail to: Entitlements Section, 201 N. Stone Ave., P.O. Box 27210, Tucson, AZ 85726-7210.
File a Formal Protest
Property owners within 150 feet of the rezoning site can file a formal protest. If 20% of surrounding property owners protest (by area and number of lots), the rezoning requires a ¾ supermajority of Mayor and Council (5 of 7 votes) to pass.
Contact Your Representatives
This is a Ward 2 case. Contact your City Council member and the Mayor directly. Let them know you oppose this rezoning and expect them to uphold the Bear Canyon Neighborhood Plan.
Stay Informed
Stay Engaged During the Permit Phase
The rezoning has been approved, but the development cannot proceed until every condition attached to that approval is satisfied. Contact the Powder Horn Ranch HOA to stay informed on permit condition compliance and any new proceedings.
The Tanque Verde Valley Association and Bear Canyon Neighborhood Association are actively watching. Community attention and public pressure remain essential tools.
Track Conditions Yourself
Go to pro.tucsonaz.gov, change “Address Search” to Activity Search, and enter C9-21-20. Scroll down to DOCUMENTS and find the Condition Tracker.
Primary Contact
Powder Horn Ranch HOA
Community Relations
8987 E Tanque Verde, #309-133
Tucson, AZ 85749
Floodplain Management
Elizabeth Leibold
elizabeth.leibold@tucsonaz.govPeter McLaughlin
peter.mclaughlin@tucsonaz.gov(520) 837-4898Stay Involved — Monitor Permit Conditions
The rezoning passed, but permit conditions must be enforced. Stay connected with the HOA and neighborhood associations to monitor compliance and hold the developer accountable every step of the way.
Follow Bear Canyon Neighborhood Association